louis



comsuwion SYSTEM Filed May 21. 192i:

INVENTOR Lena: (1.60058.

ATTORNEY Patented A 19', 1927.

UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS L. SCOTT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO-ELECTROL, INC.OFIMISSOUBI,

or s1. LOUIS, MISSOURI; A

CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

OOMBUS'IION SYSTEM.

Application filed Mayfll, 1921, sgrial No. 471,414.

' This invention relates to'a combustion system used 1n connection w1thasteam holler I and is particularly suited for use in steam automobiles.The invention, however, is not limited, in application, to generatingsteam, and is equally adaptable to use in hot water heaters, and.generally, to domestic or commercial oil burners for heating urposes.The eneral object of the invention is to provi e a simple and reliableigniting device for a fuel of the atomized type. This general object isattained by the provision of an auxiliary gas-burning igniting device,of means for igniting the gas thereof and of means for controlling theperiod of operation of said device. 1

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention will bepointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the steam enerator and parts associated therewith, al of whichare more or less diagrammatic and A Figure 2 is a sectional view of a gamixing nozzle employed. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1indicates the coils of a semi-flash steam generator, in which waterenters at the point 2, and steam is delivered fro'm'the top coil 3.The-boiler coils are surrounded by the shell 4, which shell forms acombustion chamber 5 just above. the top coil 3. An air duct 6 is formedby the upper part of the shell 4 to which is attached an air blower 7 inwhich is mounted the blower wheel An electric motor 9 is mounted on theblower case 7, said motor driving the blower wheel 8', a water pump 10and a fuel pump 11.

Water is supplied to pump 10 from a tank 12 through the pipe 13 and isdelivered to the boiler coil 2 through a pipe 14 havin a check valve 15.

Combustion fuel, such as kerosene, is supplied to the pump 11 from atank 16 through a pipe 17 and is delivered to. a. spray nozzle 18through a pipe 19. The spray nozzle 18 may be of any well known formandis for the purpose of dividing the fuel into a very fine spray. Apipe 2O leads from pump 11 to the Bourdon tube 21 of a kerosene pressure gage 22. The back of the kerosene pressure gage is shownin thedrawlng. On the end of the Bourdon tube 21 is secureda pin 23 whichprojects through a slot 24 111 the back of the'gage. An arm 25 ispivotally mounted at the point 26 on the back of the gage 22, andnormally bears on an electrio contact screw 27, which is insulated fromthe gage. The arm 25 is grounded in an electric circuit to be referredto. The numeral 28 indicates a steam gage, the back only of which isshown. A pipe 29 connects the Bourdon tube 30 of the steam gage with thesteam pipe 3. On the end of the Bourdon tube 30 is secured a pin 31which projects through a slot 32 in the back of the gage. An arm 33 ispivotally mounted at the point 34 on the back of the gage 28, andnormally bears on the electric contact screw 35, which is insulated fromthe gage. The arm 33 is. grounded in the electric circuit to be referredto. v

A battery 36 supplies electric current to operate the motor 9. One sideof the battery the armature of the magnet switch, and 21 wire 40 runsfrom said armature to the motor 9. One terminal of the motor 9 isgrounded. A wire 41 connects to wire 40 and leads-to the vibrating sparkcoil 42 and to the coil 46 of a magnet valve 43. A return wire 44 leadsfrom said coil to one terminal of the secondary winding'of the sparkcoil and thence to the insulated screw 27 on the kerosene pressure gage22. The other terminal of the secondary winding is grounded. The numeral45 indicates a tank which is adapted to contain acetylene gas. A pipe 45leads from said tank into a valve cham-- ber 45 of the magnet valve, themouth of said pipe being normally closed by a valve 48 on an armature 47normally pressed upward by a spring '53. Vhen an electric current issent through the coil 46of the magnet valve 43, the armature 47 movesdownward and opens the valve 48 and allows acetylene gas to pass fromthe tank 45 to the mixing nozzle 49 through a pipe 49. The valve 48 isnornially held closed by the spring 53. Said gas is mixed with airuinthe mlxing nozzle, which is supplied through the small holes 50 (seeFig. 2), and the mixture is conducted by a pipe 49 to a small ignitionchamber 51 where it is ignited by a spark plug 51 The spark plug is,connected to the primary of the spark coil 42 through the wire 52. I

of a fine spray into the chamber 55 where the fuel spray is mixed withair from the blower 8. The closing of the switch 38 will also operatetoplace the spark plug 51 and the magnet valve 43 into thecircuit of thebattery 86. The armature 47 will thereupon be drawn downward, removingvalve 48 from the mouth of pipe thereby admitting acetylene gas to valvechamber 45. From this valve chamber the gas passes through pipe 49 intothe mixing nozzle 49 where it is mixed with air, and the mixture thenpasses through pipe 49 to the ignition chamber 51, where it is ignitedby the spark plug 51. The flame of the ignited acetylene gas isprojected into the chamber 55 and ignites the-fuel sprayed from nozzle18.

Igniting a sprayed fuel directly by means.

of a spark plug is well known. It is also well known to ignite fuel bymeans of a gasoline pilot light, which light requires considerable timeto get started and when once started is ke t burning. The pilot light isunreliable, ecause it will clog with carbon and go out at aetime whenmost needed.

- While it is possible to ignite sprayed kerosene fuel directly with anelectric spark, this method 'is not absolutely reliable. It isnecessaryto place the spark plug in a zone where the fuel mixture isvery rich and the plug will collect carbon in a comparatively short timeand fail to light the fuel spray, with the result that the combustionchamber will be filled with unburned fuel.

A highly important feature of my invention is that I ignite with an.electric spark a gas that can easily be ignited and that will not foulthe spark plug, and by means of the hot flame of thisignited gas ignitethe fuel spray. Another important feature of my invention is that thespark plug and acetylene flame only operate for a short time, say, twoseconds, in lighting the fuel spray and are automatically shut off afterthis short period of operation.

The shutting off of the acetylene gas and the electric spark is broughtabout in the following manner: v

The normal fuel pressure used is about fifty pounds. \Vhen the kerosenegage 22 indicates forty pounds pressure, the pin 23 will contact withthe arm 25 and will break the electric circuit to the spark plug 51 andmagnet valve 43. This switch will remain open as long as the motor 9 isrunning and the fuel pressure is fifty pounds. Shortly after the motor 9is put into operation,

steam will be generated in the boiler coils 1.

.ingthe main circuit over wire 40.

What- I claim as new is:

In combustion apparatus for burning heavy oils, in combination with aheat absorbing medium, a fuel burning device asso ciated therewith,means for supplying an oil fuel thereto, an auxiliary ignition devicefor said fuel comprising means for sup plying an independent gas fuel,amagnet valve for controlling the supply of said gas fuel, electricallyoperated means for ignitingthe gas fuel, a circuit including saidignlting means and the magnet of said valve,

and automatic means governed by conditions of operation of the apparatusfor controlling said circuit.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

LEWIS L. SCOTT.

